A pilgrimage to America's first and oldest Black Catholic parish
- Aimee Boudreaux MacIver
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
New Orleans holds unique historic significance in the American Catholic Church. Here, the Ursuline Sisters established the nation's very first Catholic school. St Louis Cathedral is the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the country. A host of saints have lived in, ministered to, or have connections in New Orleans. New Orleans is also home to the first and oldest Black Catholic parish in the United States.
Nestled in the historic Tremé neighborhood—the birthplace of jazz and the nation's oldest Black neighborhood—St Augustine Church is a testament to faith, resilience, and the power of community.
St Augustine offers an opportunity for a unique pilgrimage in the footsteps of Black American Catholics, whose experiences and gifts are essential to the American Church.
A spiritual home in Tremé
First, some historic context: New Orleans was simultaneously home to perpetrators of slavery as well as a unique community known as gens de couleur libres (free people of color). Beginning in 1798, many of these free Black citizens became land- and homeowners by purchasing tracts of land from the subdivided Tremé plantation. The Ursulines joined them, purchasing a large parcel where they opened a school for neighborhood girls. St Augustine Church began as the vision of these free Black Catholics to establish a home parish in their new neighborhood. They also wanted a parish that would welcome enslaved Black Catholics, who were otherwise barred from public Catholic life.
In the 1830s, a neighborhood group organized and eventually obtained permission from the archbishop of New Orleans to build a new church and establish a new parish in Tremé. The Ursulines donated some of their property on condition that the new parish be named for one of their patrons, St Augustine of Hippo (Hippo just happens to be a North African territory).
The people of Tremé, like other marginalized communities in other New Orleans neighborhoods, poured their hearts and their resources into their church. They raised funds to pay for the construction of the building and its fittings. With a pink marble altar from Italy and stained glass windows from France, St Augustine Catholic Church was formally dedicated in 1842.
The "war of the pews"
In the era of St Augustine's founding, it was typical for congregation members to purchase personal pews in order to have a seat inside the church. This practice meant that unless you bought a pew, you would not have a seat except by private invitation. As word spread about the new Black parish coming to fruition, white parishioners attempted to buy out the pews. But the free Black citizens found power in solidarity: they organized to purchase an unprecedented number of pews for themselves as well as every single side pew, which they reserved for the use of enslaved Catholics.
When the first pastor looked out at his congregation for its first Mass, he saw St Augustine filled with, well, everyone—enslaved Catholics, free Catholics of color, and white Creole Catholics. They came together to worship one God under one roof. And so from its beginning, St Augustine was the most integrated congregation in America.
A saint at St Augustine
When you visit St Augustine, you'll be visiting the home parish of Venerable Henriette Delille, a free Creole woman who is one of the six Black Catholics currently on the path to canonization. Mother Delille founded the Sisters of the Holy Family, the nation's second-oldest religious order for Black women. It was in the hard-won pews of St Augustine that Mother Delille knelt to profess her vows.
Through the centuries, other notable Catholics have been parishioners at St Augustine: Homer Plessy, civil rights activist and namesake of the famous Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case; A. P. Tureaud, Jr., the first Black undergraduate at LSU; and Allison 'Tootie' Montana, the Mardi Gras Indian "Chief of Chiefs."
Unique places for prayer and worship
Be sure to pray at the Tomb of the Unknown Slave. The garden memorial was dedicated in 2004 to honor the nameless and forgotten enslaved Catholics who died unknown except to God. Large chains form a cross to recall their suffering and bondage. It stands on the former site of the Tremé plantation house.
If you visit St Augustine in August, you can join the parish's exuberant Jazz Mass and second line parade held in conjunction with the annual Satchmo Summerfest (which honors jazz legend Louis Armstrong). Regular Sunday Masses are vibrant celebrations that incorporate gospel and jazz into the liturgy. Check the Mass and Confession schedule here.
What to look for inside
Inside St Augustine, you'll see an interior that blends pieces and styles from around the universal Church—fitting for a congregation blended of African, Caribbean, and European backgrounds. Along with the original pews, you'll see a centuries-old altar crafted of pink Italian marble and a skylight shaped as the"eye of God" who watches over His children. Look for the original oil paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross and stained glass windows from France. The church also houses three bells cast for the 1884 World Cotton Centennial.
Where to eat nearby
You won't stay hungry in Tremé, serving up some of the city's best and friendliest dishes. As always, this is just a starter list:
Lil Dizzy's Cafe: fried chicken you will dream about the rest of your life
Dooky Chase: legendary New Orleans classics in a white-tablecloth family environment
Gabrielle: upscale, creative Creole menu from award-winning chefs
Calas Cafe: calas (a sweet rice fritter with historic and cultural importance) paired with amazing dipping sauces at a snowball-stand style cottage
Tremé Coffeehouse: mom-and-pop outlet with coffee, snowballs, and sandwiches
How to visit St Augustine Catholic Church
St Augustine is an active parish community. Be reverent and respectful, preferably visiting for Mass or other worship. Always defer to parish events.
Location: 1210 Governor Nicholls Street, New Orleans
Hours: Currently varied as the main church undergoes renovations; contact them here
Donation: Catholic churches welcome all, but it's a lovely gesture to make a small tithe in gratitude for the parish's hospitality.
Nearest landmarks: Louis Armstrong Park (5 minute walk), St Louis Cathedral (about 10-15 minute walk)
Recommended time: 60 minutes; more if you will be worshipping at Mass
Recommended ages: All, including children
Images: St Augustine Church, Engraving, Poincy painting, Sisters of the Holy Family Jazz Mass
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